- Pakistan strengthens protective measures to prevent torture.
- Victims offered legal, medical, psychological help.
- FO requires accountability for occupying powers.
Islamabad: Pakistan has expressed serious concern about the continued use of torture as a tool for oppression in situations with foreign occupation, especially in the occupied Palestinian territory and Indically illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a statement released to mark the International Day in support of victims of torture, the Foreign Office said the people of Palestine and IIOJK are exposed to the worst forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of the occupying powers to suppress their right to self -determine.
Pakistan confirmed his commitment to eradicating torture and maintaining human dignity and noting that Islam maintains the holiness and dignity of every human being and considers torture incompatible with the values of justice, mercy and compassion.
Guided by its values and international obligations, Pakistan said it continues to strengthen legal reforms, institutional protection measures and surveillance mechanisms to ensure accountability and maintain the rule of law.
The country also takes measures to give the victims medical, legal and psychosocial support.
Pakistan called on the international community to condemn the crimes committed by occupying powers and taking steps to end the victims’ sufferings that were subjected to torture and oppression.
Since the unilateral recall of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, several reports have arisen as to whether violations and cases of torture and abuse of Indian forces in the occupied region were claimed.
Pakistan has repeated his commitment to standing by the Kashmiri people and expanding diplomatic, political and moral support in their ongoing struggle for the right to self-determination in line with the decisions of the United Nations Security Council.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have been subjected to genocide in the hands of Israel for years and recently, since the war broke out in October 2023, more than 56,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the hands of Israeli occupation forces.
The UN International Day in support of victims of torture on June 26 marks the moment in 1987 when the UN Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment came into force. Today there are 174 state parties in the Convention.
